Fenderwell lock



Nov' 14 1933' c. M. ELL'ENBERGER 1,934,848

FENDERWELL LOCK Filed June *20, 1931 Patented Nov; 14,1933

Y This invention relates vtoimproved locking means and arrangementforlocking spare `Wheels or tires against theft, from supporting Wellsthere. for provided in thefront fender ofY automotive vehicles..

`rThe invention relates partioularlyto theltype of locking meanscomprising a oar forextending transversely of the kWell in position overthe lovver Y part of the spare Wheel for tire .toVv be lockedA in 1 0Vthe wen.; At the present time the' tiene iste;

Ward deeper Wellsyinorder to keepthe Wheelor tire lower-onthevehicle;andthe generalhobject of lthe Vinvention is] to Y so arrange the lockingmeansvthat thelocking barrnay be supported low enoughto be inpositionjust above the lower partof the` spare Wheel or tireutopreventverticaldisplacement thereof; p y

lIn accordance With my inventiomthe supporting members or ittingszfo'rVVthe locking barare i located at'the opposite sides of the. Well belowthe -fender Wall along side ofthe'wellggwhich arrangement will bringthe/locking bardoWn low enough relative to thesparetire or iwheel andalso remove the ttings from thetopof the f ender Where they mightormpobstructions, and Where they couldbe more readily tampered with.

' "The various features of Vrny invention are in'- corporateol inthelstructuredisclosedon the acf c ompanying drawingin which drawing:

vFigure 1 is a vertical section through a fenderwell andia spare wheelsupported therein vvith` the looking means'applied and partly invertical section; i p fr 1 n :Figure -2 is `an enlarged side View ofpart of the fender With the locking lmeans in end eleva- F'igure- 3 is asection line lII-IILvFigure 2.

rOn the drawing: A A f l :10 indicates one of the front fendersof Vvanautomobile, ythe fender havingalong its outer side the depending roll orskirt 11, this being usual fender construction., The renderisl cut outtoleave an opening 12 andthe metal adjacent theopening is deflecteddownwardlyt-o form the supporting flange -13 to which the f enderwellbody 14 isr secured to be suspended below the opening 12 for thereceptionfof spare Wheels Aor spare .y en

tiresin thefvusual manner. 1I have showna spare WheelW supported intheWelL J 'y 1 The locking means vcomprises a locking bar or bolt 15,andthejsupporting,ttings;16- and 1'? therefor. The bolt has the`enlarged cylindrical head 18 having a'jcylindrical bore `19 forreceiving a lock barrel 20 rotatable by a suitable key inserted `in thekey hole 21. At its inner end, the head has the transverse guideway 22which communicates with .the bore 19, and serves to guide a lockingdetent or bolt 23, the bolt head having theropening 24 through which thebeveled end of the detent may be` projected by a spring .25 interposedin the guideway 22 behimi the detent. The lock barrel 20.. has thecamexten-V` sion .engaging in the notch 2T in the (-lOckving det'ehtso thatwhen the lookbarrelis turned bythe. key the looking detentvvill beWithdrawn' The fitting y116 may .be cylindrical as shown and has thecylindrical pocket 28 orfrecreivingfthe bolt head 18,". the inner wallorfbase ofthejtting having-the opening 29 through Whichthe shank of thebolt 4l5v may extendf In register of then/ell 14 have the opening's" and31 therethrough Vthroughwhich the *boltV rshank is eX 'tended to engageat irgend in the fitting '17. The lflOllSingy 16 has the annularchannel`32 which is" t in registrationwithfthe'opening 24 in the vbolt head.to` receive theflockdetent 423 when.' it A is projected. v,Nvhenlthelocking .bolt 15 is insert-` ed, the engagernentof thebevelled `endofthe detent With kthe housing 16 will shift the detent inwardly-'untilthe channel 32 is reached when the spring 2 5 `will lthen` shift thedetent outwardwith the opening 29 thev outer andk inner walls.

ly into thefchannel, the bolt head andV bolt being lthen looked against:axialouttvard. `move,-

ment.v Upon insertion of thefkey and Aturning' ofy the klock barrel 20,the ylocking detent may vbeWithdrawnto release the bolt from the housing'16 soit may be pulled 'outQ The housing 16 is in greaterpart vbelovvtheskirt 11 offthe fender, the skirthavingthelopen'- ing 33therethroughthroughvvhichtheY housing f maybe inserted. The flange 34extends from and surrounds theV housing 16 andis shaped to accu-`ratelyiitj against the outerfsurfaceofthe fender skirt, and the angemaybe securedtoftheskirt by Welding or, asshown,y by means o f. rivets35vsor that theg-housingfvvillberigidly secured to the fender skirt. Thelocation of th'e housingfland' the -iitting 17. belovvv the prender.will Yb ringjthe locking -bolt 15A into proper .position 'to extendacross the Well just aboveth'e lower 'partof :theA rimofihe,Srarewheeleftf i@ be 19ste@ ie the Well. l .a .A The fitting 17 lmaybein the form 4of av cylindrical sheet'metal cup having a ange 36'bymeans" of which it may be secured against the outer side of the innerwall ofthefwell V14 aspby spot-welding or by means of rivets. Acoilabutment springBfI is provided yat the inner end of .the'ttingfl'i;and the ttingend may b e deflected to form an annue lar recess 38for're'cei'ving the outer' coil ofthe springiin order that Athe springwillbeanchored against displacement from the', fitting'.k The v springis of such axiallen'gth that when thel'ockv ing boltll` is applied, andlocked in the Ahousing lG-its outer end Will engagevwithfan'd compressthe-springso that the bolt wllbe held against axial displacement andrattlingfduringtravel of the vehicle. vThe spring alsorserves thervpurpose readily guidedthrough the various openings into lockingposition. Rearwardly ofitsilange, the fitting 17 may be expanded to forma pocket for a packing washer 39 which will prevent transversedisplacement or rattling of the locking bolt when` in locking position.Y Y As shownA in Figure 1, the locking bolt 15is in locking positionover the'lower part of the spare wheelvW. To remove the bolt, the key isinsertedin the lock barrel and the barrel is turned to Ywithdraw thelock detent 23 whereupon the spring 37 will shift the bolt a distanceoutwardly from the housing 16 and the bolt'inay then be grasped andfully Withdrawn. Afterplacingjof a vspare tire Yor wheel in the well,the bolt ris inserted throughthe housing 16 and the fenderwell openings30 and 31 and into the iittinjgl'? against the pressure of the spring 37until the lock detent 23 comesinto registration with the locking channel32 and is `forced out by its spring 25 intolocking engagement withthehousing, the locking bolt being then securely held in locking positionto lock the spare wheel or tire against theft.A The placingiof thevsupporting fittings fory thev bolt below the top wall of the fenderleaves thevfender top freeof obstruction and givesl a neater appearance.The fittings yare also `protected from the weather by the overhangingfender and are also in .position where they cannot, be very readilytampered withl and forcibly broken away.-

I have shown a practical and efficient embodiment of the features' ofmyv inventionbut do not desire to be limited'to the exact constructionand arrangementshown Aas changes and modifications rnay be made withoutdeparting from the scope and principles of 'therinvention as deiined byl thev appended claims.

Ir claim as follows:

1V. 'In' a fenderwell lockfor spare tires or spare wheels, a'pair ofmembers secured tothe fender one at each side of the well and below thefender top, a bolt slidably supported by the two members to extendcrosswise of the open space of the well and below the top thereof toprevent unauthorized `removalof atspare wheel 'or'tire therefrom, thebolt and one of saidmembers being provided with f* a .coacting detentand notch adapted to secure the .bolt against sliding' movement, andaflock mechanismfor operating the Videtentrwhereby to Yfree the bolt forsliding movement relative -to the'V two members. Y v n Y 2. Incombination' with a fender "having an openingand a frame dependingtherefrom formingaj well for receiving a spare wheel or tire, a

' locking bolt, the outer and'inner walls of the well frame havingregistering passageways for receivf ing 'said bolt, outer and innersupporting fittings forsaid boltbelowthe fenderwall along side of saidWell, said vouter fitting being secured to the fenderwall adjacent tosaid well and'having a pocket, saidv outer ytting having a passageway inits inner Wallin registration with the passageway through theouter wallofthewell frame for projection therethrough of the bolt shank and saidbolt having a headfor engaging in said pocket, said inner fittingreceiving the bolt end when saidbolt is rprojected through said outerfitting and across the well, and locking mechanism for locking said headin said Youtertting.

. 3.' In combination with a fender having a skirt along its outer edgeand having an opening and a frame depending therefrom forming a well forreceiving a spare wheel or tire, a locking bolt,`the' outer and innerWalls of the well frame having registering passageways for receivingsaid bolt, outer and innersupportingfittings for said bolt in alignmentwith said passageways, said outer fitting being supported entirely bythe fender skirt and having a pocket for receiving the bolt head and anopening through its rear wall through which the bolt shank extends forprojection throughsaid passageways, said inner fitting receiving thebolt end when said bolt is projected across the well, andlocking'mechanism for locking the bolt headinfsaid outer fitting.

4. In combination withr a fende'rhaving a skirt along its outer edge andhaving a well frame depending therefrom inwardly or" said skirt forreceiving a spare Wheel or tire, alocking bolt, the outer wall of vsaidwell frame havinga pas-k sageway below said skirt, a fittingsupportedentirely by said skirt and havinga pocket for receiving the. bo1t head andhavingan opening through its rear' wall; in register with thewell wall passageway for projection of the bolt shank into said wellbelow thevtopvthereofv to prevent unauthorized removalof a` spare wheelor tire from the'well, and looking mechanism for locking the bolt headto vsaid fitting. Y

5. In combination with la fender having a skirt along its outeredge andhaving a well frame depending therefrom inwardly of saidskirt, a lock-ling bolt, the'outer wall of said well frame having a passagewaytherethrough below'said skirt, said skirthavingan opening therethrough,a fitting seated in said skirt opening and having an escutcheoniiangefwhereby it issecured to the skirt to be entirely supportedthereby, said fitting having a pocket for receiving the head of the boltand having an opening through its rear wall in alignment withY thepassageway through the well frame wallthroughgwhioh opening andpassageway the shank of the bolt is extended to project into the wellto'prevent unauthorized removal of a spare wheel or tire therefrom, andlocking mechanism for locking the 'bolt head to Vsaid iitting.

6.` In combination with a fender having a skirt along its outer edge andhaving a well 'frame depending therefrom for receiving a spare wheel ortire, 'a locking bolt, the outer wall of said well frame havingapassageway below said skirt, 'said skirt having an opening in line withsaid well frame passageway, an eseutcheon plate mounted' on saidskirt'and secured theretov to close the skirt opening, a lug extendingfrom said plate 'through CLARNCE. M. ELneaanmanin` ist

